1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to internal extendable devices and, more specifically, to a device which connects to any vessel having an access cover with fasteners wherein said device comprises a cover which is fastened over the vessel access port thereby sealing said access port and wherein said cover has rotatable means for connecting an external hose to a hose management system consisting of one or more scissor-like device(s) composed of a plurality of connected paired members each paired member being pivotally connected at their midpoints and having an oppositely opposed paired member whereby each paired member is connected at each distal end to another paired member and to the oppositely opposed paired member by a connecting member. Said connecting member being either a rod or a milled shaft having pivotal centrally located collars having connection means for a hose on each collar and a conduit within the milled shaft creating a passageway between the collars for the transference of a fluid from one collar to the next.
The present invention comprises a lazy tong assembly which includes a plurality of jointed extendable arms or bars that are disposed between a vertically standing support member and a spray head. The lazy tong assembly is a paired assembly with the tong arms connected intermediately by pivoting means further having the individual arm members pivotally connected at their ends. Each arm has a closely positioned matching parallel arm connected by pivoting means to form a parallel paired assembly.
Each paired member consists of a first member and a second member constructed of a length of round or bar stock, preferably bar stock. The first paired member and its oppositely opposed paired member form a segment in the scissor-like device. The first segment of said device is connected at one distal end to a shaft having means for increasing or decreasing the distance between the distal ends of the first and second members. The other distal ends of said first segment has connection means consisting of bar stock or milled stock. For the purposes of this description the oppositely opposed distal ends of the first and second members of the first segment will be assigned a specific connecting member but it is to be understood that they could be reversed.
The first member of the first segment has an oppositely opposed first member. Both are connected to distal ends of a shaft whereupon the oppositely opposed first members of the second segment are also attached. Said shaft acting as connection means between segments, a bearing for pivotal movement and as a spacer between the oppositely opposed first members.
The second member of the first segment has an oppositely opposed second member. Both are connected to distal ends of a milled shaft whereupon the oppositely opposed second members of the second segment are also attached. Said milled shaft acting as connection means between segments, a bearing for pivotal movement and as a spacer between the oppositely opposed second members. Said milled shaft further having two independent centrally located collars each having connection means for attaching a hose thereto and said milled shaft having a conduit within said shaft between the collars providing means for fluid transference from one collar to the other.
The scissor-like device is comprised of a plurality of segments having consistent connection means between the segments, oppositely opposed first members being attached to distal ends of a shaft acting as a bearing, a spacer and as connection means for the next segments first members, and oppositely opposed second members being attached to distal ends of a milled shaft acting as a bearing, a spacer, and as connection means for the next segments second members. Further said milled shaft having centrally located collars having means for connecting a hose. One collar acting as the hose terminus point for the segment and the other collar acting as the source for the hose connection of the next segment until at the terminus of the scissor-like device the first and second members converge to a milled shaft having one collar serving as the terminus of the hose connections and the other collar serving as the connection means for a device having one or more nozzles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other extendable spraying apparatus designed for the cleaning and coating of large vessels such as railroad tanker cars and ship holds. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,455 issued to Herbert et al. on Aug. 7, 1979.
Another patent was issued to Bertolazzi on Jan. 31, 1984 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,985. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,879 was issued to Harvey on Apr. 28, 1992 and still yet another was issued on Oct. 4, 1994 to Moulder as U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,298. Another patent was issued to Hirose on Feb. 28, 1995 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,798. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,553 was issued to Moulder on May 21, 1996 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 17, 1997 to Oliver et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,845.
The present invention is an improvement over the prior art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,845 of which one of the co-applicants was a co-inventor.